her a moment to regroup. She pushed the
money and the card into her pants pocket not looking at it further.
The kid watched him,
a mirror image of her mother if ever he’d seen one. “Thanks you.” She mumbled
the words into her mother’s pants leg.
Olivia flushed.
“Yes, thank you for helping us.”
She was scared
shitless. It was written on her face. Shane controlled the urge to order her
back in the car. This wasn’t his issue. She was right to keep him in the dark
since she didn’t know him but it burned his ass not to know the bastard after
her or why. The text message and the others like it sent his trouble radar off
the meter. A simple check on his system at home and he’d have all he needed to
know about Olivia and her daughter Chloe.
He’d avoided running
the query like he avoided forming any hint of an attachment. Shit, he didn’t
even have a damn dog because he didn’t want to be responsible for anyone else
anymore. Yet, here he stood first thing in the morning at a bus station with a
woman and her child running from something that had her so scared she wouldn’t
confide in anyone.
“If you change your
mind.” Hell, he took another step back, increasing the distance between them
and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Call me.” He needed to go. Get far
away from this tempting distraction while he could.
She bit her bottom
lip, turning the plump flesh red. His dick stood at attention but Shane made
himself turn his back on her. He walked to his car slow and steady. By the time
he got in and started the engine, the sidewalk had two less pedestrians to
bustle around. Getting the first bus out of dodge. Shane tapped his forefinger
on the steering wheel. He’d done his part. His good Samaritan act for the day
accomplished.
None of that
explained why he sat in his car staring at the entrance to the bus station
unable to make himself drive away.
Chapter 10
After using the
restroom, Olivia held Chloe close while she tried to figure out the schedule
posted. Fortunate for them a bus to Charlotte left in less than an hour. She
and Chloe would be on their way and farther from Brian’s reach. After paying
for their tickets she spotted a small kiosk with snacks and coffee. She’d get a
few things for the ride.
Holding Chloe’s
hand, Olivia dodged the crowd. People shuffled by, heads down focused on their
phones, fingers flying. Nearby benches were full with casually dressed men and
women, piles of luggage around their feet. The luring smell of coffee was too
hard to resist. Olivia quickened her step. They were halfway to the stand when
Chloe tugged on her arm. “Mr. Snuffles. I need Mr. Snuffles.”
Olivia glanced all
around. No brown bear on the path they’d left behind. Crap. Chloe loved the
worn toy. “Where is it, Chloe?”
Her daughter’s lip
trembled. “Dropped him.”
Olivia squatted and
braced her hands on Chloe’s shoulders. “Think back. When did you drop him?”
Her small shoulders
went up then down. “Outside?” Her voice sounded doubtful.
Deep breath, Olivia
reminded herself and rose to her feet. Focus, find the bear then get on the
bus. It wasn’t Chloe’s fault that her mother’s nerves were strung tight. Still,
Olivia couldn’t shake the slow-burning sensation in the pit of her stomach. The
energy in the air didn’t feel right. “Okay, let’s retrace our steps and see if
we can find him.”
They had to. Chloe
wouldn’t be as agreeable if they didn’t find the beloved bear. In all the
madness and running, having Mr. Snuffles kept her daughter grounded in the
familiar. She hoped they hadn’t left it in Shane’s car. Calling him would
weaken her resolve further and she might not resist if he asked his probing
questions again.
Olivia stood and
clasped her daughter’s hand firmly in hers. The crowd thinned out with several
buses pulling from the station. She turned her back on the tempting cart and
the addictive aroma of coffee. The promise of
money and the card into her pants pocket not looking at it further.
The kid watched him,
a mirror image of her mother if ever he’d seen one. “Thanks you.” She mumbled
the words into her mother’s pants leg.
Olivia flushed.
“Yes, thank you for helping us.”
She was scared
shitless. It was written on her face. Shane controlled the urge to order her
back in the car. This wasn’t his issue. She was right to keep him in the dark
since she didn’t know him but it burned his ass not to know the bastard after
her or why. The text message and the others like it sent his trouble radar off
the meter. A simple check on his system at home and he’d have all he needed to
know about Olivia and her daughter Chloe.
He’d avoided running
the query like he avoided forming any hint of an attachment. Shit, he didn’t
even have a damn dog because he didn’t want to be responsible for anyone else
anymore. Yet, here he stood first thing in the morning at a bus station with a
woman and her child running from something that had her so scared she wouldn’t
confide in anyone.
“If you change your
mind.” Hell, he took another step back, increasing the distance between them
and ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Call me.” He needed to go. Get far
away from this tempting distraction while he could.
She bit her bottom
lip, turning the plump flesh red. His dick stood at attention but Shane made
himself turn his back on her. He walked to his car slow and steady. By the time
he got in and started the engine, the sidewalk had two less pedestrians to
bustle around. Getting the first bus out of dodge. Shane tapped his forefinger
on the steering wheel. He’d done his part. His good Samaritan act for the day
accomplished.
None of that
explained why he sat in his car staring at the entrance to the bus station
unable to make himself drive away.
Chapter 10
After using the
restroom, Olivia held Chloe close while she tried to figure out the schedule
posted. Fortunate for them a bus to Charlotte left in less than an hour. She
and Chloe would be on their way and farther from Brian’s reach. After paying
for their tickets she spotted a small kiosk with snacks and coffee. She’d get a
few things for the ride.
Holding Chloe’s
hand, Olivia dodged the crowd. People shuffled by, heads down focused on their
phones, fingers flying. Nearby benches were full with casually dressed men and
women, piles of luggage around their feet. The luring smell of coffee was too
hard to resist. Olivia quickened her step. They were halfway to the stand when
Chloe tugged on her arm. “Mr. Snuffles. I need Mr. Snuffles.”
Olivia glanced all
around. No brown bear on the path they’d left behind. Crap. Chloe loved the
worn toy. “Where is it, Chloe?”
Her daughter’s lip
trembled. “Dropped him.”
Olivia squatted and
braced her hands on Chloe’s shoulders. “Think back. When did you drop him?”
Her small shoulders
went up then down. “Outside?” Her voice sounded doubtful.
Deep breath, Olivia
reminded herself and rose to her feet. Focus, find the bear then get on the
bus. It wasn’t Chloe’s fault that her mother’s nerves were strung tight. Still,
Olivia couldn’t shake the slow-burning sensation in the pit of her stomach. The
energy in the air didn’t feel right. “Okay, let’s retrace our steps and see if
we can find him.”
They had to. Chloe
wouldn’t be as agreeable if they didn’t find the beloved bear. In all the
madness and running, having Mr. Snuffles kept her daughter grounded in the
familiar. She hoped they hadn’t left it in Shane’s car. Calling him would
weaken her resolve further and she might not resist if he asked his probing
questions again.
Olivia stood and
clasped her daughter’s hand firmly in hers. The crowd thinned out with several
buses pulling from the station. She turned her back on the tempting cart and
the addictive aroma of coffee. The promise of
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